Lean Improvement Councils

Lean is a continuous and long-term process of improvement, often described as a “journey” to identify and eliminate activities that do not create value for the customer. However, it’s a journey you don’t have to take alone anymore. Join a Lean Improvement Council!

Lean Improvement Councils are regional groups of manufacturers created to offer:

A unique chance to see continuous improvement in action

A constant exchange of best practices

Access to constructive and timely feedback from peers

An opportunity to build relationships within industries with continuous improvement peers

A mechanism to sustain improvement activities

Our events consist of a facility presentation on recent improvement projects, a factory tour to showcase the improvements in action, and then a focused, but open discussion to further highlight successes and opportunities. Recent event topics at locations like Flextronics, Novartis Vaccines and Grede have included: single piece flow receiving, visual scheduling, pull replenishment, takt times, ergonomics, 5S, a kaizen “toolbox” and linear integration.

Currently we have Councils growing in the Charlotte, Raleigh and Western NC (Asheville) markets and are always looking for expansion opportunities.

How to Join a Lean Improvement Council

Membership is open to all NC manufacturers but is subject to acceptance by current Lean Improvement Council members.

A strong candidate must:

Have previously begun a Lean journey

Be willing to host events and participate in events at other plants

Not be a direct competitor of a current member

Agree not to disclose proprietary observations outside the Council

Pay an annual membership fee

The annual amount to join a Lean Improvement Council is $1,000 per company and $500 per each additional plant owned by the same parent company. Each membership entitles a company to 2 “seats” per Lean Improvement Council event, with the option to purchase 2 additional seats at half of the joining fee.